The wounds opened by October 7, 2023, assault calling for retribution.

First, couple words honoring the country’s main event: On October 27, 2026, Israel will hold general elections the results of which will have an enormous unforeseen impact on the lives of Israelis and Jews everywhere. The people of Israel want the impartial state commission to investigate the derivation of the inadequate intelligence and why it took so long for the authorities to organize the response. The IDF’s stretched human resources and the insistence of ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, to relieve Haredi from military duty, is another subject of contention for many Israeli voters. And as always, the issue of security, affordability and increases in the cost of living are part of the concerns of the electorate. The strong conservative political and social agendas of the current government, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu who has been leading the country for close to two decades, are seen by many citizens as excessive. The main complain of extremism is directed at National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) and towards Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, leader of Religious Zionist Party. The legislation initiated by Itamar Ben-Gvir, mandating the death penalty for terrorists who killed an Israeli(s), was passed in March 2026. He also introduced strict prison service reform.

Some political analysts suggest that many Israelis would like to have government and Knesset with less members of extreme views. Yet only the results of general election on October 27, 2026, can confirm or reject their forecast.

After specifying major issues, yet not all of them, of general election of 2026, let’s revisit the tragedy that jolted the nation at the time. The October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel with 1200 killed and 251 taken as hostages, with its unimageable brutality, still occupies the minds of citizens of Jewish state. A year and a half ago, the devasted fate of Bibas family had profound emotional and psychological impact on Jews everywhere including myself. Israelis and many Jews in diaspora know the story of Bibas family, whose mother Shiri and her children, Ariel four years old toddler and Kfir, a 9-month baby, were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz and brutally killed in captivity in Gaza. On February 20, 2025, Hamas returned the bodies of Ariel and baby Kfir to Israel and on February 22, 2025, after initially trying to transfer to Israel incorrect body, Hamas return Shiri Bibas remains. The husband and father of the kids, Yarden Bibas and two other hostages, were released in exchange for 183 Palestinians on February 1, 2025. Shiri Bibas and her children, Ariel and Kfir, were buried in one casket to be unseparated for eternity.

The obvious injustice and the absence of punishment at the time for the murderers of innocent Israelis gave me an impetus to think and analyze the situation. On March 05, 2025, The Times of Israel Blogs published my article” Revenge vs retribution: The case of the Bibas family”. I wrote:” The concept of ‘an eye for an eye’ is part of Mosaic Law. The Exodus (21: 23-25) says:” If there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise” and “The case of the unhuman brutality of the Hamas towards Bibas family invokes in the minds of many people calls for actions to punish the perpetrators of the crime. Some people demand revenge. But the Torah makes a distinction between the revenge and retribution. The Torah inserts one vital element between the killer and the victim’s family: the principle of justice. If by the law the killer found guilty he or she should pay the price. The lawful process of justice turns revenge into retribution”.

How can we deliver proper retribution and what is righteous retribution for the killers of Ariel and Kfir and their mother? This question takes us back to the wisdom of Mosaic Exodus (21: 23-25) and to the lawful retribution of Torah. If Israeli court had convicted a terrorist of deliberately and purposely killing a citizen of Jewish state, he or she should forfeit the right to life. On March 30, 2026, Knesset legislated a Law for a person who intentionally causes death of another with aim to harming a citizen or resident of Israel, with the intent of rejecting the existence of the State of Israel, the punishment shall be death or life imprisonment. The military courts apply death penalty as a strict default. On May 11, 2026, Knesset passed a Law creating a special tribunal within military justice system with the right to sentence the Palestinians involved in the October 7, 2023, attacks to death.

It gives me deep satisfaction and a sense of pride and gratitude to IDF and Shin Bet for their delivery of retribution to the abductors and killers of Shiri Bibas and her children, Arial and Kfir.

Muhammad Hassan Muhammad Awad, a senior commander in the Mujahideen Brigades, a Gaza military faction working in cooperation with Hamas, was directly involved in abduction of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir. The Israeli military thinks Awad took a part in killing the hostages. Muhammad Hassan Muhammad Awad was killed by IDF in April 2025.

As’ad Abu Sharaiya, a head of Mujahideen Brigades in Gaza, was held by Israel personally responsible for organizing the massacres in the Kibbutz Nir Oz. He commanded the murder of Bibas family. As’ad Abu Sharaiya was killed in the joint operation of IDF and Shin Bet in June 2025.

Mahmoud Kaheel, a leading commander of Mujahideen Brigades and participant of the invasion into Kibbutz Nir Oz, was keeping the Bibas family captive in the Gaza Strip. Mahmoud Kaheel was killed in the same operation of IDF and Shin Bet which eliminated As’ad Abu Sharaiya in June 2025.

Jihad Kamal Salem Najjar, a Hamas terrorist who abducted Yarden Bibas, was killed in August 2025.

This seemingly completes the circle of justice for Bibas family. Yet, nothing can diminish the grief and emotional suffering of the surviving Bibas family member, Yarden Bibas. A year and a half ago I lamented the fate of the Bibas family and dreamed of rightful retribution. It did happen thanks to the determination and unmatched intelligence and bravery of Israeli Warriors.